HOOD BLAZES A NEW TRAIL

Jen Rizzotti was at Chase Arena Wednesday afternoon. Danielle Hood was in her room at the University of Hartford, doing homework.

Rizzotti was planning on checking out the WNBA draft, but she never got the chance because Hood, a Hartford senior forward, came screaming into the gym with the news that she had been drafted.

"We're pretty excited around here right now," Rizzotti said.

Hood, who was chosen in the third round, 32nd overall by the expansion Atlanta Dream, is the first player from the Hawks to be drafted, and the second player from the America East (Cindy Blodgett was drafted from Maine in 1998). Hood was invited to pre-draft camp over the weekend at the Final Four in Tampa, but nobody talked to her or Rizzotti.

"I didn't have too many expectations," said Hood, the second-leading scorer in Hartford history (1,666 points). She averaged 15.8 points and 4.3 rebounds this season.

Dream coach Marynell Meadors was keeping an eye on Hood, though, during the season and in the NCAA Tournament.

"She helped herself in camp," Meadors said. "She's real talented. She runs the floor well and she has good moves from the top of the key. And playing for Jen Rizzotti didn't hurt."

The Dream's other picks were Tamera Young of James Madison in the first round and Texas A&M;'s Morenike Atunrase (second round; she was then traded to San Antonio). The Hawks were eliminated by the Aggies in the second round of the NCAA Tournament.

Hood was merely hoping for an invitation to a training camp.

"I told her not to get her hopes up," Rizzotti said.

So on Wednesday, Hood was keeping tabs, but not really expecting her name to be called.

"I was listening on the computer and I heard them say my name," Hood said. "I was like, 'No way.' Then they said it again. I started screaming but nobody was in the room, so I sprinted to the gym."

The Hawks, who won a school-record 28 games this season, will be able to use this as a recruiting tool in the future.

"Kids nowadays are thinking, 'I want to play at the next level,' " Rizzotti said. "Now we can say we've had kids that have been drafted."

LYNX TAKE HOUSTON

UConn's Charde Houston stayed in Florida for the draft and was happy to be selected in the third round (30th) by the Minnesota. Lynx.

"I'm extremely excited," Houston said. "I'm very humbled. I'm just happy to have the opportunity to play at the next level. I didn't know what might happen. That's not something I was thinking about. I just wanted to make sure I got on a team."

Houston, who scored 1,365 points, was selected MVP of the Big East tournament but was inconsistent over her career. She will join Stanford's Candice Wiggins, the third overall pick, also from San Diego.

"This whole experience has been amazing," she said. "This is what kids dream about - playing in the Final Four and going on to participate in the draft. It's a once-in-a-lifetime experience. I'm so grateful to be part of it."